5 Lip Filler Myths | Lip Fillers Cincinnati

You may be thinking about getting lip fillers, but the myths circulating social media make you second-guess whether it’s the right decision. Every day, Mona Dermatology’s well-trained providers help people achieve natural looking lips using lip fillers in the Cincinnati Area. We are here to address what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to lip augmentation procedures. 

Fiction: Lip fillers are always noticeable.

Fact: When done correctly, lip filler treatments can achieve natural-looking results.

Strategic filler placement, volume control, and customized treatments are all components of natural-looking lip results. It is important to schedule a consultation (if you’re in Cincinnati, start here!) before receiving lip fillers so your provider knows exactly what you want out of your treatment. Some people want to enhance their natural lips, while others want to create more volume. Sometimes, patients just want to treat the lipstick lines caused by aging. In the right hands, lip filler can achieve beautiful results.

Fiction: Lip fillers are artificial.

Fact: Hyaluronic acid — used in popular fillers like Juvederm — occurs naturally in the skin. 

Mona Dermatology carries a variety of hyaluronic acid-based fillers, including Juvederm Collection, RHA Collection, Restylane and Belatero. Hyaluronic acid is a gooey component of the extracellular matrix and it is found in human tissue, including skin, eyes, and the fluid and connective tissue between your joints. When you undergo a lip augmentation, your dermatologist is injecting a small amount of hyaluronic-acid-based gel into your lips. Since this substance is naturally occurring, it has a very low risk of causing an allergic reaction.

Fiction: I don’t need a professional. I can do lip fillers at home. 

Fact: Lip injections can only be safely performed by a licensed professional. 

Lip augmentation is a medical procedure, so medical professionals should perform it. Any time you use a needle, you risk infection. Make sure that the medical setting is and clean and takes precautions to decrease your risk of infection. Pay attention to whether your skin is being cleaned with an antiseptic prior to any procedure. In addition, unsterilized needles can lead to needle born illnesses like HIV and  hepatitis, and your health care provider should use disposable needles to avoid cross contamination. Medical offices have rigorous sterilization procedures to ensure providers throughly clean sharp objects between patients. These are difficult to reproduce at home.

Additionally, poor injection technique invites the risk of occlusion, or fillers injected into blood vessels or arteries and blocking blood flow. This can be a serious adverse event which in the untrained hand can lead to more serious complications including tissue loss. A well-trained provider will know how to manage any complication that may arise, so it is important to choose the right one for your lip filler treatment to avoid risks like infection, scarring, burning, tissue damage, pigmentation disorders and more. Look for an office directed by a board-certified physician with extensive experience performing lip augmentations. Request before-and-after photos from satisfied patients and remember to ask lots of questions!

Even non-invasive at-home options, like Hyaluron pens, are unreliable and imprecise. The filler enters the lips via microscopic holes created by the force of pressurized air, which the Hyaluron pen releases in short bursts. These bursts can be difficult to control, leaving the user with an uneven distribution of product and lumpy-looking lips. 

Fiction: Lip fillers cause cancer.

Fact: There is no clinical evidence that fillers impact the immune system.  

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light causes skin cancer, not dermal fillers. Sunscreen and regular skin exams are your best friend when it comes to lowering your risk of skin cancer. 

Fiction: Once you get lip fillers, you’re stuck with them.

Fact: Hyaluronic acid-based lip fillers gradually dissolve over time. If necessary, a provider can easily dissolve them with hyaluronidase.

Lip filler will dissolve naturally over time, so you never have them forever, even if you wish you could. Hyaluronidase is a protein enzyme that breaks the bonds holding hyaluronic acid molecules together and encourages the body to naturally reabsorb those molecules. These highly targeted injections will not  dissolve the hyaluronic acid that your body produces naturally.